After a long, busy offseason featuring quite a few additions and subtractions to the roster and the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers, training camp is almost here.
In two days, the Steelers report to Saint Vincent College for another edition of training camp in the rolling hills of Latrobe, where the Steelers will prepare over three weeks for the 2024 season.
There, roster spots will be won and lost, roles will be defined and the team will take shape quickly.
Ahead of training camp, there are five players that intrigue me the most for the Steelers, and four of them are new faces to the team. None of them are relatively big names, either, or are expected to be starters.
If things go well though, they’ll have key rotational roles for the Steelers and serve as solid depth moving forward in what should be a difficult season from a schedule perspective.
Below are my top five most intriguing Steelers entering training camp.
1. Scotty Miller, WR
With major questions at the receiver position behind George Pickens, who projects as the WR1 for the Steelers in 2024, there will be plenty of opportunities for lesser-known guys to show out in training camp and the preseason to carve out a real role for the Steelers offensively.
One of those guys could be Scotty Miller. A five-year veteran who was once a security blanket for Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, Miller brings a good deal of experience and big-play ability to the Steelers after spending the 2023 season in Atlanta under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Though he struggled with injuries in 2021 and 2019, he seems healthy entering the 2024 season and has a real opportunity in front of him to take advantage of depth chart concerns at the position. Miller reportedly developed a great relationship with quarterback Russell Wilson in the offseason, too, so that should help him hit the ground running in Latrobe.
When it’s all said and done coming out of training camp, I believe he will be the standout player, impressing with his playmaking ability and establishing chemistry with the quarterbacks. He showcased these skills during OTAs and minicamp, especially with Wilson.
Known for his reliability, strong hands and knack for being in the right place at the right time, Miller has built a solid relationship with his quarterbacks throughout his career. That is why Brady relied on him in the past. With his speed, experience and familiarity with Smith’s offense, Miller is well-positioned to shine when training camp kicks off.
2. Payton Wilson, LB
In a draft class that looks great on paper, Payton Wilson could be the best of the bunch, should he be able to stay healthy.
Health was the biggest concern coming out of college for Wilson, which caused him to slip to No. 98 overall in the third round, where the Steelers pounced. Pittsburgh landed an elite athlete at the position with great size and traits, capping off a terrific offseason at the position that also saw the Steelers sign Patrick Queen in free agency.
Wilson’s tape at North Carolina State had some eye-popping reps against the run and in coverage. If he’s able to stay healthy and develop, the Steelers might have a gem at the position. It will be very interesting to see how he does in pads at training camp. Reviews have been strong so far in the offseason during OTAs and minicamp as Wilson has shown his athleticism at times, but it will be key to keep an eye on him in pads, where that athleticism and size could show up differently than football in shorts.
3. Dean Lowry, DE
After watching the Steelers struggle to adequately fill the huge hole following the loss of Cameron Heyward for six weeks, the Steelers did quite a bit of under-the-radar business in the offseason with the signing of veteran defensive end Dean Lowry, who is listed at 6-foot-6, 296 pounds.
Though he is coming off of a 2023 season that was cut short due to a torn pectoral muscle in November and ultimately ended his time in Minnesota, Lowry brings great experience to the table of the Steelers as a likely rotational 3-4 defensive end that can give the likes of Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi a breather when needed.
The Steelers have known about Lowry a long time. He was a pre-draft visitor coming out of Northwestern prior to the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent the 2023 season with the Vikings after seven seasons in Green Bay. A fourth-round pick of the Packers in 2016, Lowry has appeared in 120 career games with 84 starts. In his career, Lowry has recorded 266 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, 17 passes defensed, an interception, 5 fumble recoveries and 34 quarterback hits.
Having a player like Lowry as depth behind Heyward and Ogunjobi is huge, and could push the likes of Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal, or rookie Logan Lee off of the roster. The defense is going to have to do the heavy lifting for the Steelers in 2024, and having good depth in the form of Lowry behind Heyward and Ogunjobi is comforting.
With his size, strength and motor, he should be able to flash quite a bit in training camp and the preseason, and it would not surprise me one bit if he pushes Ogunjobi for more playing time, too.
4. Spencer Anderson, OL
The Steelers did very well to land rookies Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick in the 2024 NFL Draft, strengthening the offensive line in the process and seemingly completing the rebuild that GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl kicked off a few years ago.
Fautanu, Frazier and McCormick, along with second-year pro Broderick Jones will have plenty of eyes on them, and rightfully so. Just don’t forget about Spencer Anderson, though.
Anderson can play all five positions along the offensive line and is one of the more athletic players in the trenches offensively for the Steelers. Ironically, Anderson is listed as OL on the roster, and is the only player with the OL label next to his name as the team either has OT, G or C next to the others.
He’s the Swiss Army knife for this group, one that is going to get work at all five positions, most likely, in Latrobe. He did it last summer and played well in the preseason. Entering Year 2, he’ll be learning a new offense in the process, but that shouldn’t affect his versatility whatsoever.
It might be a bit of a numbers crunch in the trenches for the Steelers, unless they decide to keep 10 offensive linemen, but with his versatility and athleticism, Anderson is one of the guys to watch up front no matter where he’s lined up.
5. Beanie Bishop Jr., CB
With Cameron Sutton suspended eight games to start the 2024 season, the slot cornerback position is back into a bit of flux for the Steelers.
While veterans like Josiah Scott and Grayland Arnold are certainly options for the Steelers in the slot, the hope for many — including myself — is that rookie undrafted free agent Beanie Bishop Jr. out of West Virginia grabs hold of the opportunity and runs with it, forcing his way onto the field.
Bishop measured in at 5091 and 182 pounds at the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl in Dallas, and despite the smaller size, Bishop had a dominant 2023 season. He recorded 20 pass breakups as he was constantly around the football and really emerged as a leader in the Mountaineers’ secondary. He then turned heads at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
So far in the offseason, he’s been a bit quiet for the Steelers, but once the pads come on and the reps are live, Bishop could really turn heads and make some plays. The talent is undeniably there. The maturity is, too, considering he’s 24 years old and spent time at three different schools as a starter in college.
He plays fast, physical and has great ball skills, which is something the Steelers could really use in the secondary at the cornerback position. Eyes should be glued to No. 30 in Latrobe.
